


Partners in Crime

by Symxalia



Series: ShuAke Confidant Week [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Day Two: Partners, M/M, ShuAke Confidant Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-11 07:06:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16471034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symxalia/pseuds/Symxalia
Summary: Ren meets a boy in the orphanage after his parents die, a boy who becomes Akechi Goro, just as he becomes Akira Kurusu.An au where Akira and Goro meet much earlier and are pulled into the metaverse together for the first time.Shuake Confidant Day Two: Teamwork/ Partnership/ Compatibility





	Partners in Crime

“Are you sure about this? There’s no going back.” Goro’s voice is quiet, so as to not drag attention to themselves through the thin walls of their shared room. The mistress of the orphanage wouldn’t be pleased to know they were awake after lights out.

Ren chuckles morosely. “You say that like we would have somewhere to return to in the first place, Goro”

 

“I just don’t like this, it feels like we’re being herded, like we're clueless sheep blindly following each other into the slaughterhouse,” he pulls in on himself, “I just want to make sure we know what we’re doing.”

 

“We’re not going into this blind Goro, you know the risks and so do I.” 

 

“You don’t  _ need _ to face those risks though!” Goro rasps hoarsely, emotion trying to make his voice louder while he tries to actively smother it.

 

“Then what do you want me to do, leave you to go for this alone?”

 

“I-” he doesn’t know  _ what  _ he wants.

 

“Goro we were both pulled into that world, we’re in this together”

 

“I just… I don’t like this Ren,” he repeats, before adding, “one of us being under that bastard’s thumb is enough.”

 

Ren reaches out and caresses Goro’s cheek. Smiling as he leans into the touch. “I won’t leave you.”

 

* * *

 

“And now, we’d like to thank our very special guest tonight,” The announcer pauses, ratcheting up the viewers attention before leaning into his microphone and almost shouting, “the rising star detective, Akechi Goro!”

 

The in-studio audience makes itself known with a collection of cheers and clapping as Goro steps out onto the stage, he holds a microphone of his own in his hand which he uses to respond. 

 

“There’s no reason to thank me, in fact, I should be thanking  _ you  _ for this opportunity Sado-san” Goro’s polite smile and body posture is flawless under the burning studio lights. As always, acting comes easy to him.

 

“There’s no need Goro-kun, let's just get right into this” Disgust curls in his stomach at the familiarity and disrespect the balding fool just displayed in calling him by his first name. Like he’s attempting to squash Goro under his boot by reminding him he’s  _ just a child _ .

 

“I’ll follow your lead Sado-san”

 

“Alright then. So Goro-kun, you’re how old now?” the man goes straight for Goro’s age, how telling.

 

“I turned sixteen about a month ago”

 

“Really? So young! And you’re already so popular.” the man leans forward on the couch across from Goro, getting closer, nearing his personal space “and there have been murmurs of you being the second coming of the Detective Prince!”

 

Goro looks to the side and down, mimicking bashfulness “I never expected it to turn out like this, I don’t find myself to be nearly as successful as Shirogane-san”

 

“So humble! No wonder you’ve built yourself a following.” Sado smiles larger, it causes his eyes to be almost completely obscured, but it does nothing to hide the plastic in his expression.

 

Goro nods politely.

 

“But you’re not doing it alone, are you?” he says it like a gotcha and Goro can’t help but frown before remembering himself and returning to his pleasant facade.

 

“That’s correct, my partner, Akira”

 

“Your partner you say?” he gazes quizzically at Goro, looking for cracks he can break open. “If I had known that I would have invited him”

 

“I assure you he didn’t mind, the spotlight isn’t really his place.”

 

“No, that’s more your forte isn’t it? He doesn’t seem as kind to the camera” Goro’s gloved hands tighten into fists, he only notices because of the near inaudible squeak of new leather.

 

Given half the chance he would rip this man’s dick off.

 

Sado leans in, grinning like he’s got a secret to tell, but keeps the mic close enough to his mouth so that the audience can still hear him loud and clear.

 

“You know, with how smart you are Goro-kun, I bet any partner you have is dead weight, or maybe he’s more like a secretary?”

 

* * *

 

“ _ DAMMIT”  _ Goro’s fist swings to punctuate his words and when he pulls back small streaks of blood are left on the wall that received the brunt of his fury. “He played me like a  _ fucking _ fiddle”

 

His shoulders are heaving, and he can’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears. What were the procedures for managing anger? To breathe surely, but he’s doing that just fine and he still wants to string Sado up by his neck and slice open his stomach to see if he’s just as much plastic on the inside as his personality is.

 

Insults to himself? Goro can deal with that just fine, a polite smile and a cutting remark that most of them will be too  _ stupid _ to notice and he feels better.

 

But insults to Akira? Goro would sooner commit homicide than take that laying down.

 

And yet, today he had to do just that. He had to conceal his anger and rebuke Sado with a  jovial comment “ _ oh no Sado-san, you must be kidding. I don’t know what i’d do without Akira.” _

 

He’s the good boy, the innocent and naive second coming of the detective prince. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.

 

He’s so trapped in his half formed plans of gruesome murder that he doesn’t notice the footsteps behind him. What he does notice is the arms that slide around his torso, and the body that presses into his back, that pulls him close. 

 

Familiar, warm, safe, Akira.

 

He leans back and almost instantly his muscles relax, leaving him loose and exhausted. Akira sighs gently before pulling him over to their bed and tucking Goro’s head into his chest, gently petting his hair and relaxing him further.

 

Inhale. One, two, three. Exhale. Four, five, six.

 

“I hate this.” he says it without context and Akira hums in understanding.

 

Eventually he returns Akira’s embrace, looping his arms around Akira’s waist and nuzzling closer into his warmth. Like this, Goro can feel the bumps and gouges along Akira’s back, scars the Metaverse gave him when they got too cocky.

 

Remembering how much they’ve been through to get here both calms Goro further and saddens him. They still have so far until they reach his-  _ their _ goal.

 

“You did so well today.”

 

Goro chuckles, though without the humor it sounds close to sobs. It’s only then that he realizes that he’s getting Akira shirt wet with his tears. When did he start crying? “I was  _ so _ close to breaking and just… punching his  _ stupid _ fucking face.”

 

Akira hums again, this time it sounds like laughter.

 

* * *

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little darker than I expected it to turn out, but I still had fun writing it!  
> it you enjoyed please leave a kudos or a comment!


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